Disappointment
by kellylover
Summary: Danielle Santino was used to disappointment, but tonight was anything but disappointing. At least, that's what she thought. It's Dani/JD in practice but Dani/Nico in principle.
1. Late Night Meeting

Danielle Santino was used to disappointment. Before working for Marshall Pittman, she had been disappointed in her practice. She was disappointed in her husband. She was disappointed with herself for having been so blind to his infidelity. She was disappointed in the lack of progress TK had made. She was disappointed in the way her relationship with Matt fell through. But tonight, Danielle Santino felt no disappointment.

"You're sure the kids are gone this time?" JD asked, wrapping his arms around Dani as she unlocked the front door. Impatiently, he nipped at the back of her neck.

Giggling playfully as she opened the door, Dani replied, "Absolutely." Taking JD's hands and pulling him along, they entered the house and quickly closed the door. JD pulled her to him again and pushed her against the door as she said, "I even told them tonight was date night, so they know not to come home."

JD leaned in closer and whispered, "Well, I'm glad they finally know about me and trust me enough to leave us alone."

"I think it's more like they're afraid of what I might do if they come home," she whispered back conspiratorially. Letting out a slight chuckle, JD closed the gap between them and kissed her tenderly.

Dani sighed contently, moaning lightly against his lips.

No. This was certainly anything but disappointment.

Before either of them was really aware of it, they were upstairs in Dani's bedroom, with fewer clothes than ever before. Dani stood in her bra and pants while JD had managed to take everything off but the navy boxers he put on that morning. The kisses were no longer tender. Instead they were hot, demanding. And as they worked to remove the few pieces of clothing that kept them from finally consummating their relationship, Dani thought nothing of disappointment.

Until her phone rang. Frowning at first, she ignored it and JD laughed in approval, covering her lips with his own once more.

By the time it rang again, she and JD had made it to the bed. To keep her mind otherwise occupied, however, JD unfastened her bra and eased it off of her shoulders.

When it rang a third time, she could no longer ignore it. She pulled JD away from her breasts, gave him an "I'm sorry" kiss, and stormed over to answer it, disappointed that her evening could be so easily disrupted.

But it wasn't disappointment that flooded her heart when she looked at the caller ID. She quickly glanced back at JD, anxiously watching her, and walked outside the room.

Dani took deep breaths. She wasn't sure why the fact that Nico was calling her made her feel so guilty, so ashamed. But doing everything she could to calm down, she finally picked up the phone.

"Nico?"

"Dani, finally," he said, breathlessly. "I was beginning to worry."

"Nico, what's the matter?" Dani asked, panic setting in.

"Nothing. Nothing. It's just, you weren't answering your door and then you wouldn't answer your phone, and I saw the lights on." He paused. "I was just worried."

Clutching at her chest Dani replied, "Nico, I appreciate your concern, but not all of us have skeletons in our closet that come out to get us."

"Forgive me, Doctor," he answered. Dani shook her head, silently reprimanding herself.

"I'm sorry, Nico. I really do appreciate your concern. It's nice to know someone's watching out for me." Her breath caught as she realized – "Nico, are you outside?"

"Yes. Is that a problem?"

The panic returned. Nico was outside her house. JD was inside her bedroom, expecting… well… expecting her. And she was standing in the hallway bare-chested. She began to contemplate, wondering what the best course of action would be. How could she get JD out of her house and Nico inside, without either of them seeing the other? How could she get dressed before either of their… needs took over?

It was Nico who waked her from her revere. "Doctor?"

Dani swallowed hard.

"Of course not. Just give me a minute and I'll be right down." She hung up without saying goodbye, without waiting for a reply.

It was then she realized that there was no hope of escape. Reluctantly, she walked back inside her bedroom.

"Listen, JD, I'm really sorry. There must be some emergency. Let me just see what's going on," Dani said as soon she entered. She walked straight to her clothes, hurrying to cover herself.

"That's okay, Dani. I'm not going anywhere," JD replied. She looked up to find him under the covers, his boxers lying suspiciously on the floor. She sighed.

"Look, I'm really sorry, but these emergencies tend to take all night." She pulled on her shirt and walked over to the mirror, smoothing her hair (if Nico had seen that…) and straightening herself.

"I thought your kids knew not to interrupt," JD said sitting up.

"They do," Dani replied. "This has to do with work."

"Dani, it's a Saturday night. Are you used to this sort of thing?" Dani turned around and looked JD in the eyes for the first time. He sat there, disappointment evident in his eyes.

"JD, I'm sorry. I really am. You're welcome to stay, but I have no idea when I'll be done. I wish I didn't have to do this, but it's my job." She walked over to him and gave him a quick kiss, blushing at little. (Nico is downstairs, she thought. What are you doing?) Then, without a glance back, she walked out the doors. With a deep breath she walked down the stairs and went to the door.

Through the curtain she could see Nico. He was wearing a navy blue sweater and black slacks and was looking through the door expectantly. Dani stopped there for a second, enjoying the fact that she could see him, but he couldn't see her.

He seemed nervous, anxious. Maybe he was really worried, she thought. He kept looking at the ground and then back up again, waiting. When he started to pace, Dani knew that she couldn't wait any longer.

Nico's sigh of relief was visible as soon as he saw the door open. He knew, as soon as he saw her, that he had been worried for nothing.

Nico had been trained to notice that which others tended to overlook. It was easy for him to tell that she wasn't alone. And suddenly, instead of worry, he was filled with loneliness. Suddenly, he felt guilty. He shouldn't have come. He could have called. He could have texted her. Or come by in the morning. Any number of possibilities would have been better than the one he pursued.

"Nico?" Dani began. He shook his head.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I shouldn't have come." Dani blushed, embarrassed that she could be read so easily. She tried to deny it.

"What makes you say that?" she asked.

"Dani, I know," he replied. He put his hands in his pockets and looked at the ground. Dani shook her head.

"Nico, look, why don't you come in? Can I get you a drink?" She took his arm and pulled him inside, closing the door behind him.

"I just wanted…" Nico began before she interrupted him with –

"How about some coffee?"

It was then that everything fell apart. They looked up to see an unkempt JD walking down the stairs. At least he has his clothes on, Dani thought as she realized everything was ruined.

"Is everything alright?" JD asked. Seeing Nico in the doorway, he said, "Oh, hey Nico." Dani struggled to find her voice. Instead, Nico spoke.

"I should go," he said simply. He watched as JD completed his decent down the stairs and put a possessive arm around Dani's waist. Nico turned and started toward the door when Dani stopped him.

"Wait!" she said. "Whatever it was you wanted, it must have been important to come all the way over here." She smiled shyly at him, encouraging him to go ahead.

Slowly Nico regained his composure. "Coach called a meeting for tomorrow at 9:30. I just thought you would appreciate the heads up." He dug his hands deeper into his pockets and shrugged noncommittally. "Anyway, see you tomorrow." Before walking out the door he said, "Nice to see you, JD."

"You, too," JD replied.

"Nico!" Dani called, momentarily stopping him in his tracks. "Thank you." Nico swallowed.

"You're welcome." Dani gave him a sad smile.

"Goodnight," she said. Nico just nodded and with that he was gone.

Dani sighed as he closed the door. Her head was swimming. She had no idea what to think, or what to feel, and was only vaguely aware of JD as he began to speak. She replied without really thinking about what she was saying.

Her mind was still swimming as they walked back upstairs. It was swimming when JD started to kiss her and peel off her clothes once more.

Her mind didn't stop even as JD buried himself in her.

She was numb to his advances and felt guilty once more as she contemplated that thought that left her speechless: "What was Nico thinking of me now?"

It was this question that kept her awake long after JD fell asleep, satisfied and satiated.

She had no answer.


	2. 9:30 Meeting

The next morning, Dani was still in a trance when she walked into the coach's office.

She had purposefully worn an overly professional outfit, wanting to show Nico that she wasn't just busy with her personal life. It mattered to her that he saw her the same way he always had. So she had done everything she could to keep his mind on business and not on their disappointing meeting the night before.

With a similar goal in mind, Dani was the first inside the coach's office. She sat down and waited, trying her best to remain calm. Before too long, Coach walked in followed closely by Matt. Coach grunted a "Morning," and Matt smiled at her. Just as Matt opened his mouth to make friendly conversation, Nico walked in.

"Sorry I'm late," he said. They all inclined their head to show he was excused. Dani did everything she could to avoid his eyes.

The meeting, about some trivial thing or other, ended just as quickly as it began, and for the duration, Dani's mind was still swimming.

She got up and started to follow Matt, who had left just a few seconds before, out the door without a word to either of the remaining two. She left the room and found a bench outside where she sat down to gather her thoughts.

She was just contemplating how lucky she was to have gotten through the first meeting with relative ease when she heard Nico say, "I'm sorry about last night."

She looked up and found him sitting next to her.

"No, Nico, I'm sorry. I-"

"It was a Saturday night. I should have known better," he said interrupting her.

A little shocked, she replied, "There was no way you could have known." He shrugged a little and gently shook his head.

He wasn't surprised when Matt told him about JD. What he hadn't expected was how quickly their relationship was progressing. Perhaps it was his partiality that blinded him. Either way, she was forbidden fruit. Not yet divorced, romantically involved with another, and a member of the team. No, Danielle Santino was off-limits. And he shouldn't have made the trip over to her house just to see her. No matter how much he enjoyed the view.

Clearing his throat, Nico replied, "Well, I wish you the best."

Finally, he looked up at Dani. He stared into her eyes for a while and added, "You deserve the best, Doctor." She blinked.

"Thank you, Nico." She laid a hand on his arm.

Then he walked away.

And Dani was left alone in her disappointment.

YOUCANBEYOUROWNSPOTLIGHT

Nico strode into his office without pausing to turn on the lights. He sat down on his couch and placed his head in his hands.

He hadn't slept at all the night before. He was too distressed, too embarrassed.

Too disappointed.

He had driven out to her house, walked up to the door, and knocked. He waited, and then knocked again. And when she never opened the door he began to call her cell phone. When she didn't answer he began to peek in windows. And when she didn't answer a second time, he started looking for weak spots in the doorway, in the window frame, in any possible route into the house.

When she answered, he felt much better. But she had sounded out of breath, and so he began to worry again. And as he waited outside the door, he became increasingly apprehensive. When he first saw Dani in the doorway he was overcome with relief. He had been unnecessarily agitated, certainly, but his relief was proportional to his agitation, and that alone was reason enough to worry.

When he realized she was with a man, his heart stopped.

Nico wasn't a very romantic person. He accepted this as a fact of life. He had never really been induced to love anyone. At least, not as a man should love a woman. That didn't mean he was inexperienced, it just meant that he had never really formed any sort of attachment.

He was surprised when he started to care so much about Dani. He respected her, sure, and admired her, certainly. But when he realized he was falling in love with her, he wasn't exactly sure what to do about it.

At first he was content that she was happy playing games with Matt. And then he was content with the fact that she was available. But when she started dating JD, Nico became… jealous.

Now, in the darkness of his office, Nico keep contemplating two questions:

When did he develop all these emotions, and how was he supposed to deal with them?

His mind was still churning over these thoughts when Dani walked into his office.

He had no answers.


	3. AfterMeeting Meeting

Danielle Santino was used to disappointment. But she'd never expected to be so disappointed when Nico left her alone on the bench in the hall. She was surprised at how much she had enjoyed a quiet moment alone with him, how she loved the warmth of his arm under her fingers, how she delighted in his probing gaze.

After Nico got up, Dani was thrown off guard. There she sat, assaulted with a barrage of emotions and no idea how to cope with them. Suddenly, impulsively, she walked straight into his office, only slightly disturbed when she found the door open. (That never happens, she thought briefly.)

She was very surprised when she found Nico sitting with his head in his hands. He looked exhausted. As if all of his energy had been drained between the few minutes when he left her outside and now. Nico was usually looking completely energized. He never came in dragging his feet. He never had a bad hair day, or came in wearing mismatched clothes. Even when she knew he had been up at all hours of the night, he still looked impeccable. To see him like this, with his guard down, was something very out of the ordinary. But rather than wonder at it, she quickly spoke before she lost her courage.

"JD asked me to go to the Congo with him."

Nico was startled. He pulled his head up instantly and appeared, for all the world, the same put-together man he always seemed to be. He looked to find Dani staring down the wall straight ahead.

"Are you going to go?"

Dani swallowed and looked at him. "I don't know." Nico nodded slowly. "I mean, after all," Dani began, "I'm needed here, aren't I?"

"You're an important member of our team, Doctor. You are an exceptionally valuable asset."

"And my kids, what would they do if I just ran off with JD for a month?" she continued, pacing, her frustration picking up.

"Your kids could stay with their father, I suppose. Or perhaps your mother. But I'm sure those aren't options you're willing to explore."

"Not to mention the fact that it wouldn't help the divorce proceedings," Dani said, virtually ignoring Nico as he spoke. "It's just not practical. Why can't he see that?"

Nico could tell when his words had no effect. So instead of replying, he simply listened. He followed her with his eyes as she paced and searched her face when she stopped to face him.

"Should I go with him Nico?"

Nico swallowed and raised his eyebrows in surprise. He waited a minute to gather his thoughts and then said, "Doctor, sometimes what we want and what is practical are not the same thing." Dani nodded. "However," he continued, "sometimes what is practical is not the best thing for us."

"But what do you think I should do?"

Nico, still surprised, answered slowly. "I think you should do what's best for yourself."

"No, Nico," Dani said. "What do _you_ think I should do?"

The muffled noise of the activity behind his closed office door filled the room.

"Tell him to go alone," he said. "Stay here with your children, with the team." After a paused he added, "We need you, Doctor."

Dani nodded. "Thank you, Nico."

With that, she walked out of the office, out of the building, and straight to her car, where she sat in the driver's seat, unmoving.

Even if he hadn't told her he needed her, too, she knew it was implied. And that was enough to reassure her that nothing had happened to their relationship the night before. He still needed her. And maybe it was just in a professional capacity, but that was enough to keep her here, to keep her interested.

She knew he cared about her. And she cared about him enough to stay, no matter how much she was tempted to accept JD's offer.

Now the only question she pondered was how to break it to him.

She had no answer.


	4. Sunday Morning Meeting

Danielle Santino was sitting alone, disappointed, in her kitchen, nursing a cup of coffee and reading over the morning's newspaper. Her children were with Ray for the weekend and, with TK quieted since his new relationship had developed, Dani had nothing to do but sit and pine for the excitement JD would have brought to her day. Instead, Dani fully expected a boring day all to herself.

That was why she was so surprised when her doorbell rang.

She drew her robe closer around her and opened the door to find Nico standing before her.

"Nico." He smiled.

"Hello, Doctor."

"Please, come in." He obliged and she closed the door behind him. "Can I get you a cup of coffee?"

"Please," he said. Together they walked into the kitchen where Dani poured coffee into a mug and handed it over to him.

"So, what brings you here, today?"

After taking a long drink of his coffee, Nico answered, "I knew you'd be alone. And, I seem to have the day off as well." He took another drink and watched as she tilted her head in surprise. "I wondered if we could just… talk."

She smiled suspiciously and answered, "Talk, Nico? I thought that was the last thing you liked to do."

He smiled and bowed his head in mock defeat from her playful teasing.

Looking up at her, he asked, "How is JD?" Dani chuckled in surprise.

"That's not what I expected you to say," Dani confessed. "But, he's fine." Nico nodded. "Well," she began, "the last I heard he was fine, anyway." He looked at her expectantly. "We broke it off last week," she said.

"I can't pretend that I'm sorry about that," Nico started, "but I am sorry for you, Doctor. Although I did hear that Matt has made you an offer as well." Dani squinted at him.

"Matt did come on to me, Nico, but how did you know that?" He shrugged.

"I have ways."

"Obviously," she scoffed.

After a second, he asked, his own voice betraying a hint of the jealousy he felt, "What did you tell him?"

She looked him in the eyes and said, "I haven't said anything yet. Why? Is this the part where you discourage me from dating people within the workplace?"

"No," he said evenly. "I like to keep up with the team. You are both part of our team. I was just… curious."

"Hmmm," she replied.

They sat together in silence as they each took a drink from their coffee mugs. After a moment Dani asked:

"Why are you here, Nico?" He smiled in defeat.

"I was worried about you, Doctor." Dani stared into his eyes and saw the full truth of the matter.

She reached out and rested her hand on his forearm.

"You're a good man, Nico," she said.

"I'm glad you told JD no," he told her. "The Hawks need you."

Dani grinned. "The Hawks need you a lot more than they need me." He smiled a sad smile and told her:

"I'm afraid the Hawks will very soon cease to be the same team. I'm worried about it, Dani." He placed his hand on top of hers. "It will affect a lot of people, a lot of them our friends." She watched him, sensing his fear. "I'm going to do everything I can, but I need you to be prepared. Not even I can stop Marshall Pittman when he's made up his mind." Dani nodded.

"Thank you, Nico," she said tenderly. "I appreciate the heads up." Nico acknowledged her words with a dip of his head. "But, Nico, I trust you. I believe in you. You'll get us through this. You always do."

Suddenly, Nico stood up, pulling his arm and hand away from her. He walked to her sink, and began to rinse out his coffee mug, saying, "Thank you, Doctor. And thank you for the coffee and conversation." He finished rinsing out his mug and turned to face her. "It was most refreshing."

Then, before she even knew what happened, he said, "Have a good day," and walked out of the kitchen. She barely managed to call out, "Anytime! Goodbye!" before she heard the door shut.

She suddenly felt cold and drew her robe closer around her. She stared at the newspaper on the table, dumbfounded.

She knew Nico was impulsive. It was one of the first things she learned about him because it wasn't something about which she had to ask. She just knew. Nico was impulsive.

But she was very disappointed when he walked out so suddenly, so impulsively. It was in his nature, sure, but very disappointing.

Her mind was preoccupied as she finished her coffee. She pondered what had made him leave as she showered. She wondered about it while she dressed. And later, much later that day, as she sat in front of the TV before heading to bed, she still thought over that one question: What made him leave so abruptly?

She had no answer.


	5. Hospital Meeting

**Author's Letter:**

**I haven't been writing any of these really. I mean, there was that one that I put up explaining what was going on with me rewriting the first few chapters to make it fit the show. But that was replaced.**

**I'm kind of torn between the fact that I want you to judge this story completely independently from who I am and what I might write to annoy or entertain you before the story even begins, and the fact that I want to inform you of certain things.**

**I've gone back and changed Chapter 4, "Sunday Morning Meeting" because I don't really think it fit the show anymore. So, if you're interested, you might want to go back and re-read that chapter.**

**I also want you to know that this is the last chapter of this story. I'd never done a chaptered story before, and it's a lot different than doing individual one-shots, which I prefer. So, this "story" is ending, but the story never ends. There will be sequels, or additions, but not within this story. I don't want to progress the plotline any more than it already is. I have a sneaking suspicion that I'll even have to come back and rewrite this chapter after the premiere next season.**

**So, one last word: I've noticed a lot of people are following this story. Let me just say, thanks so much. I really appreciate it. And while I hate begging for reviews, this is that moment. I'd like to hear all opinions on the end of this story. Kthnx.**

**kellylover**

Nico Careles wasn't used to disappointment. Of course, he'd experienced it, but it wasn't an everyday occurrence for him. He'd been disappointed when Gabrielle married Marshal, disappointed in himself when he slept with her after, disappointed when he married on the rebound, and even more disappointed in himself when he couldn't make his marriage work. He had even been disappointed when he interrupted Dani and JD. But he'd never been so disappointed as when he interrupted her with Matt less than two weeks later.

He tried his hardest to rationalize her behavior. After all, Dani had been with Matt before, so it wasn't that outrageous that she was sleeping with him again. He couldn't even reasonably be mad at her because Matt made his move, something he could never bring himself to do. But he had been completely taken aback when he interrupted her with JD, and the last thing he ever expected was to do the same thing except with Matt.

That was the thought that drove him wild.

The waiting room where Nico was sitting was deserted and he allowed the quiet to soothe him. The chairs, though uncomfortable, were still chairs and he sat reclined in one, leaning his head against the back and closed his eyes. When he opened them, some two hours later, he saw Dani standing in front of him.

"Doctor," he said by way of greeting.

"Oh Nico," she sighed and the sound sent chills to his bone. He sat up quickly and watched as she collapsed in a chair next to him. "It's been quite a night, hasn't it?" she asked.

"How's TK?" he replied.

"Better," she said. "And Vivica is taking this all surprisingly well."

"She seems like a very strong woman," he said.

"What about you, Nico?" she asked, searching out his eyes. "How are you?"

"I'm fine." He swallowed and sat forward in his seat, staring at his hands.

"Did you tell Gabrielle?" she pushed.

"Yes," he said tersely. "I told her."

Dani, sensing that she was pushing in the wrong direction, retreated. They sat in silence for a while, Nico continuing to stare at his hands while she looked at the broad expanse of his back and the hair on the back of his head.

"I guess you weren't expecting to find me with Matt, were you?" she said, finally. "I bet that doesn't happen very often – the all-knowing Nico getting surprised."

He cleared his throat and said, "There are plenty of things I don't know, Doctor. You would be surprised to find how often I am surprised," he said, trying his best to sound lighthearted, but only coming across as offended.

"I'm sorry, Nico," she said simply.

They sat there, once more allowing silence to fill the room.

Dani's heart was racing. Nico had certainly interrupted her once more, and she had been just as disappointed in herself when he found Matt as when he found JD. She wondered if Nico would tell her it was unprofessional to date him, or if he was at all jealous. She knew, of course, that being with Matt did take a bit of rule bending and part of her wanted to break it off with him completely because of the lack of professionalism. On the other hand, she wanted to damn the rules, damn professionalism, and go after Nico. And if she could break the rules for one man, why couldn't she break them for another?

Matt was a good catch. That's what she had to keep telling herself or else she'd despair.

She could never have Nico. That was made completely clear when he told her about Gabrielle. It was then she knew that she had no idea who he was or what he wanted. And that was enough for her to know how hopeless it was to want him.

Nico, on the other hand, was crushed. He didn't mean to come across as angry. He wanted her to know that he would always respect her. He would always treasure her friendship and wisdom. That was why he told her about Gabrielle. He wanted her to know that he valued her opinion, that he needed her wisdom, and that he prized her friendship.

When she said asked if he was in love with Gabrielle, he didn't answer for fear he would betray himself. Yes, he had loved Gabrielle, but he hadn't for years. He would always care about her, but on many levels, he despised her. And showing that to her earlier that evening had been a liberating occasion. But he didn't answer because he was afraid he would tell Dani how wrong she was, that he would tell her that he loved _her._

Eventually, Nico looked over his should at Dani and smiled. "Thank you, Doctor, for all your help." She smiled back. "I really appreciate it."

"I'm always here for you, Nico," she said softly. "You don't have to go it alone."

"I hope Matt doesn't hurt you this time," Nico said suddenly. "And I'm always here to make him disappear in case he does," he joked.

Dani, a little shocked, laughed and replied, "Matt's a good guy. I don't think he'd hurt me. At least, I hope not."

Nico stood up abruptly. He had the answer he wanted and had no desire to stay any longer. "I need to go." He looked at her once more, smiling faintly. "Goodnight, Doctor. Don't stay too much longer. You look like you need some sleep."

Dani sat up straight saying, "I won't." He turned to leave and she called, "Goodnight, Nico!"

But he walked out of the room without looking back. There was no need to tease themselves any longer. So he just left.

He left, leaving them both in their own disappointment.

fin.


	6. Outside Meeting

Nico Careles had recently become used to disappointment. In the past six months, Nico had been disappointed in the way his relationship with Gabrielle had ended, disappointed in how little he had been able to talk to Dani, and disappointed in the way Marshall had treated them all. Just that day, Nico had been disappointed to learn that his best and longest friend had been found dead. But tonight, Nico Careles felt no disappointment.

"Oh, Nico," Dani sighed during a brief moment when their lips were parted. The warmth of her breath on his face sent chills down his spine.

"Shhh…" Nico replied and pressed his lips to hers once more.

No. This was certainly anything but disappointment.

Dani's hands wandered absentmindedly through his thick hair while his hands pressed in the small of her back and her shoulder blade, pulling her closer. Her mouth moved against his, eventually falling open. And as he slipped his tongue between her lips and began to explore the inner reaches of her mouth, Nico thought nothing of disappointment.

Nico knew that he and Dani had always had a special relationship. It had taken him a few weeks at first to find out just how effective and trustworthy his friend was, but as he watched her help TK through all of his problems, Nico grew to admire her, to count her as a valuable ally and someone on whom he could depend. It was easy from there to make the jump from trusted asset to cherished friend, and from cherished friend to unrequited love.

Of course, he had never expressly told her how much he cared about her. But he knew that, at the very least, Dani must have known how much he enjoyed her friendship. And it was that fact that made it so painful when they began to drift apart.

To some extent, Nico was aware that their distance was only natural. After all, the season had ended, and with it, so had most problems concerning Dani. TK was a special case. Then again, he always had been. But even TK didn't require Dani's help for half of the off-season. He left town to go to rehab, and Dani had stayed in town, looking after her own practice. So, naturally, the contact Nico had with her had dwindled.

At first, he had been reluctant to admit that their communication would be drastically affected. He was too nervous anymore to approach her at her house for fear that he would once more interrupt her with Matt, but he would call her, and in the beginning, she would call him, too. But as he began to _see _less of her, he began to hear from her less often as well. At that point they began to text more. But eventually, that too started to die away.

Nico hated the loneliness he had felt when he thought of Dani. She hadn't only been the object of his most secret desires, but she had been his best friend as well. So he hated that Donnally could pull them so far apart.

One of the hardest things Nico had to admit to himself was that he was often too harsh on Donnally because of his relationship with Dani. Donnally was a good addition to the management team. He made smart decisions that actively sought to increase the value of the team. He deserved the chances he got, and he often made good on them.

There was no aspect of Matthew Donnally that had made him unworthy of Dani. And that was the hardest pill to swallow.

But swallow it he did. He tried to accept the fact that Donnally had made an expensive purchase at a jewelry store. He tried to accept the fact that he would soon see a ring on Dani's finger that had only been bare for a little less than a year. So when Vera pulled him into her hotel room and onto her bed, Nico allowed her to numb him, thinking it would be best to get his mind off of Dani.

But even Vera brought his attention back to Dani as he made ready to leave. He never felt so disappointed in himself as he did at that moment, and his only option was to quickly leave, which he did.

When a week went by and Dani's finger remained bare, Nico couldn't keep himself from digging. And when he found out that Dani and Matt had broken up, Nico never knew such relief. Perhaps, he thought, they could once again be friends like they used to be.

More than anything, Nico had _missed_ Dani. He missed the laughs and the smiles they shared in the hallway. He missed how she teased him about his secrecy, but admired him for his professionalism. He missed her interrogations. He missed knocking on her door in the middle of the night and standing there guiltily under her annoyed eye. He missed how she would reach for his arm conspiratorially when they were talking. He missed telling her things he could never tell anyone else.

When he finally got his chance to test if they could be close again, however, the circumstances had been far less than happy. He got his wish of pounding on her door late at night and silently enjoyed the annoyed look on her face. But when she saw the bug in her office, Nico saw just how far they had strayed from one another's company.

"I need you to go, please."

Those words had stung more than she realized, for Nico learned in that moment exactly how little he seemed to mean to her anymore. Later, when he showed her the copies of the tapes he had collected from Tony, he was again greeted with a hurtful, "Would you please leave? I want to be alone!" That time, however, Nico couldn't just leave her. He had to do what he could for her. He needed to make her understand that he was going to right this wrong.

Nico had almost kissed her that night. But instead, he stood up and went off to make good on his promise.

In hindsight, he thought as Dani began to pull at the top button of his shirt, if denying himself the indulgence of a kiss that night had guaranteed her eagerness tonight, it had been more than worth it.

"Mmmmm, Dani," he groaned as he pulled away from her. "Dani," he repeated when his eyes opened, "we should stop."

She looked up at him and took her hands away from his shirt, resting them instead on his shoulders. "I'm sorry, Nico," she said softly.

Nico shook his head gently. "Don't be sorry," he responded and then leaned forward, kissing her tenderly once more. When they pulled apart Dani spoke:

"Would you like to come inside?"

He smiled and cupped her face with his left hand. "I'd love to," he began, "but I shouldn't."

Dani lowered her gaze, causing Nico to drop his hand from her cheek. "Right. It's getting late anyway," she said.

"Hmm," Nico murmured with a slight smile on his face as he tried to meet her eyes. "It's not that late," he dissented. She looked up at him then, and returned his smile with a shy smile of her own.

"Then you must have some super secret spy stuff to take care of," she inferred. He chuckled.

"No," he responded. "It's just that now isn't the time to rush things."

Dani exhaled her surprise at Nico's honest answer. "You're right," she answered. "It's best that we stop."

"Hmm," Nico grunted again. "But let's not stop too soon."

With that, he pressed his lips against hers again. She responded once more, her mouth moving under his. She took his bottom lip between her own and gently sucked. She felt his tongue flicking against her lips and she soon granted him entrance. As she lost herself to the dizziness of his kiss, she draped her arms around his neck while his hands held her sides tightly, pulling her closer and closer to him.

They sat there, gently kissing, for an eternity. Yet, when Nico moved to pull away again, they both found that the end of eternity had come too soon.

"I really should go," Nico said softly between kisses.

"You're right," Dani replied before kissing him again.

When they pulled apart Nico said, "Goodnight, Dani."

"Goodnight, Nico," was her response, and as if on cue, Nico covered her mouth with his own.

This time when they pulled apart, Nico slowly removed his hands from their positions on her sides and stood. He gave her a warm smile as he turned to leave, but when he walked away he heard:

"Will I see you tomorrow?" He turned around and saw Dani standing, waiting for an answer.

"Of course," he said simply, and after a beat he added, "Goodnight, Dani. Pleasant dreams."

"Pleasant dreams, Nico."

He knew then that he would be able to obey her. He knew that for the first time in a long time he just might be able to sleep soundly, that he wouldn't have to stay awake worrying.

That they didn't have to live in disappointment anymore.


End file.
